Electric motors and their associated starters are typically designed into a power package that is rated for the voltages and frequencies that are in use in a particular country or region. For example, common U.S. line voltages include 230V/60 HZ, 460V/60 Hz, or 690V/60 HZ while common European line voltages include 230V/50 Hz, 400V/50 HZ or 660V/50 Hz.
Multiple versions of the power package are typically built in order to field equipment at a plurality of international locations in order to accommodate the various voltages and frequencies. Thus, additional engineering, maintenance, and deployment costs are incurred in order to build equipment that may otherwise be identical in all ways except for the power package installed on the unit. This may be especially problematic in the offshore petroleum industry where market conditions dictate that service equipment be built well before the end destination is known. Motor equipment may also be moved or redirected from one international location to another due to unexpected changes in market conditions where the AC service voltages available at the new location are incompatible with the equipment built for the previous location.